Mobility and network connectivity

5 July 2019, 4.15 PM - 5 July 2019, 5.00 PM

Carl Dettmann

University of Bristol, UK

Spatial networks consist of nodes located in space, with links more likely between close pairs of nodes. These are often used to model communication networks, where the links correspond to the possibility of two-way communication between the nodes. Connectivity refers to the property that all nodes are linked in a single or multi-hop fashion, and we have shown that its probability can often be well approximated by a simple formula containing the geometric information. We have also considered complex environments, and found that the connectivity is largely controlled by the non-uniformity of the distribution of nodes. In many spatial networks the nodes are mobile. Examples of mobility models will be presented, and how they lead to non-uniform distributions and lack of connectivity. This work uses methods of statistical physics and existing applications are largely in wireless communications (where nodes are humans, vehicles or robots) but there are many features common with movement ecology. (work with Justin Coon, Orestis Georgiou and Pete Pratt)